Set up a recurring account
A recurring account bills one customer the same amount on a schedule, such as a monthly retainer or weekly lawn care. You create the account, the customer subscribes once with their card, and Stripe charges them automatically every cycle after that.
Recurring accounts are on the web under Recurring and in the Paybrain app on the Recurring tab.
Add an account
Start a new account
On the web, open Recurring and click Add Account. In the app, open the Recurring tab and tap Add Account.
Fill in the details
Enter the customer and what you're billing for. All fields are required except notes.
Create it
On the web, click Add Account. In the app, tap Create Account. The customer is emailed an invitation to subscribe.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Account Name | The customer's or business's name |
| Email Address | Where the invitation, receipts and files go. In the app it's Account Email, and you can search your customers. |
| Account Description | What the customer is paying for. They see it when they subscribe. |
| Rate | The amount charged each cycle, in dollars |
| Billing cycle | Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly or Yearly. Monthly is the default. |
| Notes (Optional) | Shown to the customer as what's included. Web only. |
Each account is for one customer. To bill several customers the same amount, add an account for each.
Get the customer subscribed
The account stays PENDING until the customer subscribes. There are three ways.
The invitation email. The customer gets an email to activate their account. If they haven't subscribed, they're reminded 3, 7 and 14 days after you created the account.
The signup link or QR code. Open the account. On the web, the link is under Customer Signup, with buttons to copy and share it, and Show QR Code shows a code they can scan. In the app, the link and QR code are under Customer Access.
Tap to Pay, in person. In the Paybrain app, open the account and tap Tap to Pay on iPhone on iPhone or Tap to Pay on Android, and the customer taps their card. If your phone isn't set up yet, you'll see Accept Contactless Payments first. The card is saved for the renewals.
What the customer sees
The signup page shows your business, the description, the price per cycle and what's included. Under Billing Details it says the first charge is taken Immediately after subscription. The customer can enter their name and email, then clicks Subscribe Now and pays by card on Stripe's checkout.
After that:
- They get a confirmation email with a link to manage their subscription.
- They're charged automatically each cycle, and get a receipt each time.
- You get an email for every payment, and the account changes to PAID.
Fees
Each payment is charged the recurring rate: 3.2% + 30¢ on Basic and 4.2% + 30¢ on Premium. It comes out of what you're paid, and the customer pays only the account's rate. The fee follows the plan you were on when you created the account. Card pricing isn't added to recurring accounts.